Firearm



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2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F-IREARM Filed July 8. 1930 G. DE LUCE ET AL FL' e919Fayj Fatented ay 24, 1932 GUGLIELMO DE LUCE AND FERRUCCIO GUERRA, OFNAPLES, ITALY, ASSIGN'ORS T0 SOCIETA ITALIANA MIGLIORAMENTO ARMI, OFNAPLES, ITALY FIREARM Application led July 8, 193D, Serial No. 466,569,and in Italy July 10, 1929.

This invention relates to gun firing and has for its object to providemeans by which the flame and flash that accompany the projectile on itsflying past the gun muzzle can betotally suppressed.

It is a,V Well known fact that the moment a gun is tired, a very vividflame is produced at its muzzle soon after that the shell has abandonedthe barrel and perhaps also an instant before. The flame now referred tois due to the fact that neither the whole energy of the gases producedby the explosion of the charge is utilized on the projectile, nor areall the calories developed by the combustion of the charge absorbedduring the flight of the projectile within the barrel:

This flame is very objectionable, specially at night, as it allows theenemy to discover where the gun is located, and correct his aim for thedestruction of the Gun, however well the latter may be conceale f Thereis, besides, another objectionable fact which takes place specially withlong barreled guns, for instance marine guns, this 2 being the smokethat is produced even when using the so called smokeless powder, a factthat has not been reasonably explained so far, but that appears' due tothe relatively long time the projectile remains in the barrel, whichallows a portion of the powder charge not to be ully burned and to reachthe muzz le of the gun in a smoky condition but not hot enough to burneither on coming into Contact with atmospheric air.

It is then the objec-t of this invention to so diminish the temperatureof the not utilized gases by very finely dividing and pulverizing andmixing them with a cooling means, that such unexhausted gases willbecome extinct and invisible.

This eec't, that has been proved by real experience. is attained byprimarily placing inside the barrel, between the top of the charge andthe bottom of the shell, a certain quantity of a cooling substance,either fluid or finely divided solid matter and arranging besides at theniuzzle end of the gun a device that automatically injects asupplement-ary portion of the finely divided cooling means into thestill burning gases before their flight into the air behind the shell.

The accompanying drawings show a num ber of modifications of the abovesaid arrangement, and particularly:

Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of the portion of a gun where theshell and charge are placed when loading the gun:

Figure 2 is an axial sectional View of the muzzle arrangement accordingto one forni of the invention, of which Figure 3 is a crossv section onthe line a--a;

Figure 4 is a viewsimilar to Figure 2 of a rather modified form of themuzzle arrangement;

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 being a sectional axial view, a cross sectionalView, a front and perspective View respectively of one of the flamediverging means adopted with this arrangement and Figures 9, 10, 1?. areradial and cross sectional views respectively of one or more internallybaffle plated rings as are fixed inside and on the outer end of themuzzle member, in order to still deviate the remnants of the gases, andcooperate to check the recoil of the gun, and the noise of the shot.

Figure 12 is in an axial sectional View of a further modified form ofthe muzzle arrangement, in which a portion of the .gases are deflectedrearwardly;

Figure 13 being a perspective View of another gas defiecting means, inconnection with this invention.

Figure 14 is an axial view of a still further modified form of thedevice according to this invention specially adapted for small bore gunsand machine guns.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View corresponding to aportion of Fig. 14 but showing one of the valves in detail.

Fig. 16 is a transverse section on the line iG-ic of Fig. i5.

As stated above, this invention aims primarily to cause that portion ofthe calories produced by the ignition of the owder charge, which are notutilized for the propulsion of the shell or projectile to be ab-Accordingly a first soibcd and destroyed.

part of the action aimed by this invention is effected inside the gunbarrel and more particularly between the front end of the charge and thebottom of the shell as is well shown in Figure 1, in which 1 indicatesthe shell in its position before firing, between the bottom 2 ofwhichand the end of the charge 3 a space or room 4 is left in which a closedproper speed, as if the cooling means did not exist at all. But theinstant the projectile leaves the gun muzzle, as in the position shownin Fig. 2, said cooling means, which, owing to the very high pressure itwill have undergone from the gases of the explosion, will be extremelyfinely divided and vaporized due also to the very high temperaturedeveloped. At the same time said cooling der means will intimatelymingle with the gases, partly following the shell, partly expandingsideways in the direction shown by arrows 7 into the expansion chamber15, the admixture of such cooling means with the gases already causingthe latter to be greatly cooled down.

This actionof temperature lowering has proved however not alwayssufficient to total- .ly check the flame hereinbefore referred to,

so that it has been proved necessary to adopt a means for still keepingthe gas vapour unrotection of a cover and to still further admitaportion of the cooling substance to mingle with the gases and deviatetheir course before allowing them to expand into the air.

This object has been attained by a rolongation added to the gun muzzle,an so construct this added member as to force the gases to deviate fromthe course of the shell and to cause another quantity of coolingmaterial to be sent into the mass of said gases, just behind theprojectile.

One first form of such device as adopted according to the presentinvention is represented in an axial sectional View in Fig. 2. Accordingto this form, the device comprises a cylindrical hollow member 10 havingits axis coincident with the gun axis, and constituted as a sleevethroughy which the shell can freely pass during its flight. This sleeve10 is fixed onthe outside of the gun, near its muzzle, in any convenientmanner, as for instance by screwing asl at 8 and 9.

Conveniently fixed into the outer sleeve is another concentricallyarranged sleeve 11 of a suiciently smaller outside diameter as to leavebetween the two sleeves and by means of a conveniently fixed tubulardiaphra 11', two circular tubular chambers 13, 14A

which communicate with one another at their forward ends as at 14. Thesleeve 11 has one or more cucularly arranged series of perforations 12,and the diaphragm 11 has' one or more flanged openings 17 which' permltcommunication of chamber A14 with any convenient container of thecooling meansnot v represented, from which by any convenient meanswhatever as by compression said coolmg means may be fed. Freely mountedon the inner sleeve 11 are two iston-like metal rings 18, 19, which maysli e tightly in the chamber 14, forming between them a circularV74chamber v17 which is filled up with the cooling means as fed through-theholes 17', the

ring 19 being controlled by a coil spring 20 owing the direction ofarrows 7, will passalong chamber 14, and through its end 14 will enterinto .chamber 13, and act on thepistonlike ring 19. The latter willtherefore be moved backward and compressing the coolin matter in chamber17, will cause the piston ike ring 18 to move-back, and uncover theperforations 12,v when the cooling meansl will therefore be ejectedwithv force into sleeve 11, just behind the shell, and so cooperate todiminish the temperature of the passing gases and by this means toextinguish the flame.

On this action being completed, the spring 20 will push ring 18 forwardagain, hence the: i

perforations 12 will be covered again, and

the coolin matter, while replenishmg again chamber 1 will send ring 19forward to its resting position as shown in Figure 2, ready for anotheroperation.

In accordance with the matters specified herein above, if the sizes ofthe various parts or members of the device and their masses as well asthe quantity and quality of cooling material contained in chambers 4 and17 are well appropriate, the cooling means will thoroughly be pulverizedand vaporized as well as intimately mixed with the gases which will havefollowed the shell in its flight and even afterward with the otherportion of gasesrwhich has concurred to set the system of piston-likerings in operation. In this way, the energy of these gases will fully beabsorbed and no suflicient quantity of them will still remain to producethe undesirable llame.

Accordingly, the quantity of cooling material needed will advantageouslybe divided Lacasse 1o muzzle arrangement as shown in Figure 3,

With some additional details as shown in Figures 5 to 8 and 9 to 11respectively.

The outside sleeve or jacket according to this modified form is screwedon to the gun as at 8 with a flanged portion 21 against ther muzzle faceof the gun where it can be fixed in any convenient manner. The insidesleeve 11 is made with a restricted mouth at its rear portion 27widening therefrom, said sleeve 2o bein supported by an additionalsleeve 23,

whic is screwed both on the jacket and the inside sleeve, by means of aninside and outside screwed prolongation 24.

According to this form of construction a i5 large expansion chamber 15for the powder gases is formed in the jacket where the gases flow asshown by arrows 7: said-chamber 15 being closed forward by a piston-likering slidably mounted on the sleeve 11, to form 20 the chamber 17 whichcommunicates as in the former construction with the refrigerating meanssupply container not shown, through a hole 17 As in the formerconstruction the perforations 12 are supplied to permit of the coolingmeans being injected into the sleeve as in the former case.

Conveniently fixed in the prolongation 23, where the latter widens as at26, are a number of shell like tubes 27 having preferably a square crosssection and a curved shape as shown in detail in axial and crosssectional views in Figures 5 and 6 and in front and prospective views inFigures 7 and 8 respectively.

5 Further, in addition to the above arrangement as shown in Figure 4,inside and near the outer opening of member 23 are one or more rings 30,as shown in detail in Figures 9, l0 and 11, in their axial sectional andfront 3 views respectively. These rings have inside fixed small bailleblades 31 of any convenient shape, set at an inclined position withrespect to the axis of the gun. In operation, whilst a portion of thegases expand in the chamber 15 as above and the remaining portionfollows the projectile as shown by the arrows 7', they are subject to afirst cooling action on the part of the cooling 3 forations 12 but, onreaching the point where the deviating shells 27 are, said gases enterthe shells and are further deviated and deilected as shown by the arrows28 and 29, so that said gases now mixed and cooled, proceed stillforward until they meet and pass the means ejected by chamber 17 throughthe perbams blades 31 where they are further mixed and cooled so that noflame whatever may become a parent.

Besi es, as these baille blades receive the last impulse of the gases,they will cooperate owing to the axial forward action on said inclinedblades to diminish the energy of recoil of the gun.

The modified form of construction of the llame reducing in guns asspecified with reference to Figure 4, is particularly useful with longbarreled guns, in which, as stated above, beside the llame theprojectile is accompanied in its flight by a certain amount of smoke,which will be widely suppressed due particularly to the restriction 22of tube 11 as well as to the intimate mixture of the cooling matter andthe inflamed gas which is obtained by the deviation of the gases in adirection normal to the gun axis caused by tubes 27.

With this modied form of flame checkin device, the shock of the gasesagainst the ba fle plates 31 in the opposite direction of the gun recoilcauses the length of this recoil to be diminished and softened.

A further modified form of construction of the device for checking thegas flame in guns which has for its principal object to greatly diminishthe volume of the gases that fly after the projectile, and obtain inthis wayv the capital advantage of lessening the quantity of coolingmaterial necessary in such kind of devices, while still obtaining athorough cooling of the gases, is shown in Figure 12.

According to this modified form of the invention, a portion of the gasesimmediately after their flying past the gun muzzle, is deflectedbackward and either dispersed into the atmosphere behind the gun or bymeans 305 of an artificial physical or chemical cooling process, causedto be thoroughly absorbed and anyhow rendered harmless to mens health. vReferring to Figure 12, according to this modified form of device,conveniently fixed on the muzzle end is a kind of hollow metal cap 40 sosha ed, as to facilitate the gas flowing backwar through tubes 43, 44fixed on a convenient prolongation of jacket 10, as shown by the arrows50.

Freely slidable in the jacket 10, but with a good contact with thejacket wall in order to prevent gas escape, is a cap 45, the backwardmovement of which is limited in a convenient manner, as by an annularstop 46. The jacket 10 is shut by a front cover 47, having a centralhole in which a tubular prolongation 49 of the cap, can slide as in aguideway. In this way the usual chamber 17 1s provided between the capand the jacket cover, into which cooling matter may be sent through aspring controlled valve 48 and feeding tube 17.

The cap 45 is supplied with perforations 12 as in the preceding cases,through which the cooling means may be ejected when, owing to theforward impulse of the powder gases, the cap is moved forward, saiilcapbeing sent back when the pressure inside it 1s extinguished, by thepressure ofthe incoming cooling means.

Batlle rings 30. may be provided atthe jacket mouth as in the precedingcase, and besides some baflling members 101 of pressed metal as shown inFigure 14,1nay be provided in order to more fully deviate the powdergases before escaping behind the projectile, and also to stand a part otthe impulse oi said gases, in the opposite direction to the. recoil ofthe gun, which latter will be consequently diminished.

In this modified form oi the llame checking device, as soon as theprojectile leavesl the gun muzzle, owing to the inertia of cap l5 and tothe open wayv traced b v the backward turned tubes 13, 44, a part ofthepowder gases will turn backward in the direction shown by the arrows 50.whilst the other part o't` .said gases will follow the course ot' theprojectile, acting upon the cap as stated above, and causing the coolingmaterial to mix with the powder gases and cool them.

i Figure l-'l shows a still further modified form` ot the arrangementaccording to this invention, particularly` adapted for small bore guns,rifles, machine gunsand the like.

According to this modification, a hole (il is drilled in the wall of thegun, in correspondence with the charge chamber B. on which a bent tubeG2 is conveniently fixed, which widens in a chamber (S3 where a piston(ist may tightlyv slide, forming and limiting a further chamber G3communicating through a tulze 17 with a cooling matter feeding containernot shown. To said chamber G3 is fixed a tube G5 that runs parallel tothe gun barrel near the muzzle of which it is fixed as at (3G, whereanother hole communicates again with the barrel.

Now, convenientlyv fixed at the union between chamber 63 and tube G5, isa hindering valve as 'diagrammatically shown in Figure 15 such valvehaving a rod G8 being guided in a plate 6T and controlled by a spring G9so that the cooling matter, either mixed to the powder gases or not.cannot pass forward or backward unless acted upon by the pressure of thepowder gases, when the valve plunger will be acted upon and movedforward against tht` action of the .spring and permit the passage of thegases and cooling matter which will be injected into the barrel in the,proximity of the muzzle, said gases being efiicientlv cooled `down andthe flame disappearing.

The cooling matter ma)v be water. for instance. but an)Y otherappropriate matter. either iiuid or gaseous or even u linely dividedsolid matter may be used as actual experience may suggest.

It must be understood that the word shell when used above. is meant toinclude any form oi` projectile.

t must be, understood that We do not restrict ourselves to the detailsand forms of embodiment as described and illustrated; but that we intendto broadly protect the nature and scope of our invention as speciliedabove which are a process and means for suppressing the flame and flashthat accompany the projectile in tiring guns and the like.

Having now described and ascertained the nature of our invention and inwhat manner it. is to be performed, We declare that what we claim is:

l. In combination, a gun barrel having a bore, a conduit for a coolingmedium arranged to deliver the cooling medium to the L ases resultingvfrom the firing of the charge, and a gas conduit comniunicating withthe bore and connected with the cooling medium conduit whereby pressureof the fire gases is utilized to mix thecooling medium with the firegases.

2. ln combination, a gun barrel having' a. bore, a conduit for a coolingmedium arranged to deliver the cooling medium to the gases resultinefrom the firing of the charge, and a gas conduit communicating with thebore and connected with the cooling medium conduit whereby pressure ofthe fire gases is utilized to mix the cooling medium with the liregases, and means for supplying a cooling medium to the first mentionedconduit under initial pressure.

f3. In combination, a gun barrel having a bore. a hollow member appliedto the muzzle of the barrel, tubular members in said hollow memberarranged in spaced relation with Ieach other and providing concentricinner and outer internal chambers, means for supplying a cooling mediumto the inner chamber, the outerchamberbeingin communication with thebore of the barrel, and pressure 0perated means moving in response tothe pressure of tire gases to open communication between the innerchamber and the interior 0f the inner tubular member.

l. In combination, a gun barrel having a. bon?l` a hollow elementcarried by the end of the barrel, inner and outer spaced tubular membersarranged in .said elementprovids ing inner and outer chambers, the innertubular member having perforations therein connecting the interior ofthe inner tubular member and the inner chamber, the outer chamber beingin communication with the bore of the barrel, and a valve-like elementnormally closing said perforations and operated in response to thepressure of fire gases discharged into the hollow element from the gunbarrel to cause uncoveringr ofE said perforations.

. ln combination, a gun barrel having a bore, a hollow element carriedby the end of the barrel. inner and outer spaced tubular membersarranged in said clement providing inner and outer chambers, the innertubular member having pertorations therein connecting the, interior ofthe inner tubular member and the inner chamber, the outer chamber beingin communication with the bore of the barrel, and a valvelike elementnormally closing said perforations and operated in response to thepressure 'of fire gases discharged into the hollow element from the gunbarrel to cause uncovering of said perforations, and means for admittinga fluid medium to the inner chamber.

6. In combination, a gun barrel having a hore, a hollow element carriedby the end of the barrel, inner and outer spaced tubular membersarranged in said element providing inner and outer chambers, the innertubular member having perforations therein connecting the interior ofthe inner tubular member and the inner chamber, the outer chamber beingin communication with the bore of the barrel, a valve-like elementnormally closing said pertorations and operated in response to thepressure of fire gases discharged into the hollow element from the gunbarrel to cause uncovering of said perforations` means for admit-ting afluid medium to the inner eham ber, and a piston-like member in theinner chamber for separating the cooling medium from the pressure gases.

7. In combination, a gun barrel having a bore, a tubular member arrangedin alinement with said bore and having openings therein, a chambersurrounding said tubular member, means for supplying cooling medium tothe chamber and a piston-like member arranged in said chamber subjectedto the pressure of the tire gases following the discharge of theprojector from said bore, whereby to cause the delivery of the coolingmedium from the chamber to the interior of the tubular member throughthe openings in the latter.

8. In combination, a gun barrel having a bore, a tubular member arrangedin alinement with said bore and having openings therein, a chambersurrounding said tubular member, means for supplying cooling medium tothe chamber and a piston-like member arranged in said chamber subjectedto the pressure of the fire gases following the discharge of theprojector from said bore, whereby to cause the delivery of the coolingmedium from the chamber to the interior of the tubular member throughthe openings in the latter, and means arranged in said tubular memberfor diverting the gases passing therethrough to cause the latter totravel in a direction normal to the path of the projector.

9. In combination, a gun barrel having a bore, a hollow element appliedto the end of the barrel, a piston-like element dividing the interior ofthe hollow element into two chambers and having an axial passagetherethrough in line with the bore of the barrel for the passage of aprojector, said pistonlike member having openings therein connecting thepassage therethrough with one of the chambers, valve control means foradmitting a cooling medium to said chamber, the piston-like member beingsubjected to the pressure of the fire gases discharged from the bore,whereby the piston-like member is forced outwardly causing a compressionof the cooling -medium in the tirst mentioned chamber and the injectionof said cooling medium into the assage of the piston-like member throughtl e openings therein.

10. In combination, a gun barrel having a bore, a hollow element appliedto the end of the barrel, a iston-like element dividing the interior oft e hollow element into two chambers and having an axial passagetherethrough in line with the bore of the barrel for the passage of aprojector, said pistonlilre member having openings 'therein connectingthel passage therethrough with one of the chambers, valve control meansJfor ad mitting a cooling medium to said chamber, the piston-like memberbeing subjected to the ressure of the fire gases discharged from theore, whereby the piston-like member is forced outwardly causing acompression of the cooling medium in the first mentioned chamber and theinjection of said Icooling medium into the passage of the pistonlikemember through the o enings therein, the second mentioned cham er havingpassages therein for the discharge of the tire gases.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

GUGLIELMO m; LUCE. FERRUCCIO GUERRA.

